20w Mono Solar Panel Battery Charging Kit,

dj_efk said:
Interesting. What’s the output when under the front windscreen / on the dash?
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With 500mA unshaded (no windscreen), under the same conditions it would be about 200mA on the dash. The windscreen loses you about 60% but shows how effective the glass used is against heat gain from outside and heat loss from inside.

RAB
 
I "installed" the 20W PV panel and I'm monitoring the battery (my old battery, not the new one bought this week). It's p;ugged into the cigarette socket with a plug with a fuse inside.

Started at 11.5v then to 11.7 but has dropped to 11.6 as I switched on the ignition. It's a miserable overcast drizzly day so I wasn't expecting much. Let's see what happens. Note the CCTV sticker! I might spray the frame black to make it less conspicuous.

A2 PV Panel 2020-10-30 lr.jpg


If it works over the winter then next spring I might install the panel high up on the house wall and have a socket below to plug into. I will then have an A2 EV for £30 ;)
 
I have a 30w panel in my window and no one has smashed the windscreen to steal it yet.

I add a little bit of tilt to reduce the angle of incidence a touch by propping it up when I park.


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Our Lupo 3L survived very well on 10w last winter. I thought it was 20w but I discovered a defective soldering joint the other day. However, it doesn't have a CCU, so the only continuous battery drain is the radio.

RAB
 
I raised the white flag today and connected the mains powered battery charger. The voltage had dropped to 11.6v - too many miserable days + car faces north + overnight temp 3C or more below zero.

Car had not been used since 22nd Dec and then only a short run. Previous to that a 15mile run on 17 Dec.

I shall put a timer on the battery charger so it only charges say 1 or 2 hours a day and it's already on the low setting so is only delivering a couple of amps.

It does mean I need to open the garage door and disconnect the car every time I use the A2 (I have a lead permanently connected to the battery that is normally coiled up in the top of the boot). Next spring I will think about putting the solar panel high up on a south wall and then having a waterproof socket by the rear of the car.
 
Yes, a panel in the back window is less than ideal. My son's Polo has a 20w panel in the front and never needs an external charge.

RAB
 
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